The Cosmopolitan

No Cats, But What A View

A couple of weeks ago I walked through the new Cosmopolitan Hotel / Casino in Las Vegas. Like many mega casino / hotel's it is huge and appears to have been built using no discernable master plan.

But I also found its art collection and decor to be endearing. And I really like it's "Just The Right Amount of Wrong" advertising campaign with its uber cool music the Booty Swing by the Austrian remix artist Parov Stelar.

So this week when a business trip brought me back to Las Vegas, I decided to check in to the Cosmopolitan for a night. What clinched it was a low sunday night rate and finding out that it is now part of the new Marriott Autograph Collection.

The taxi drops you right at the registration lobby, which is nice (many Vegas hotels make you walk miles from cab to registration.) And oh what a lobby it is! It is simply a techno marvel that surrounds guests with lush, constantly changing, electronic imagery. While I was there it was falling leaves.

The Cosmopolitan's Registration Lobby 

Is A Visual Knockout

(Click to See Leaves Falling)

It was Sunday so check-in was really quick. My front desk “co-star” (really, that is what they call their staff) immediately offered a handshake. It seemed so "Enterprise" rent-a-car. Note to the service industry; take it from your former Las Vegas resident Howard Hughes - handshakes in flu season = bad idea.

In recognition of my Marriott elite status, my co-star upgraded me to a room with a balcony. That was very nice since many of the Cosmopolitan's rooms have truly breathtaking views.

The View From A Room On The 25th Floor

While in the hotel elevator I found no herds of white cats as featured in their ads, just some nice visitors from Argentina and a very inebriated couple who got on the tower elevator by mistake. When the wife realized her mistake she stepped off. The husband stayed on announcing after the doors closed with a broad smile that "she’ll never find me now.”

Upon opening the door to my room I was dazzled. The room was huge and lovely but not too earth friendly with 16 lights burning and two big flat screen televisions lit to greet me when I walked in. Ironically each TV offered an interactive presentation of the Hotel’s “sustainability” program.

The toiletries were nice. The minibar selections were also awesome, some a bit kinky. My breakfast was comped (Marriott perk). Good thing too since the 2 egg, toast, and bacon breakfast was $29 on the room service card.

I needed to get some work done that required the internet. Alas the techno saavy Cosmopolitan internet was down. To determine that I had to figure out the surprisingly complex phone system. “Help” at the Cosmopolitan is obtained from a button labeled “Beck and Call”. Touching “Beck and Call” resulted in me being put on hold. When my nice “Beck and Call” co-star came on she relayed that they had no idea when the internet would actually work again.

With no internet, I went for a walk through the adjacent Crystals mall. Home to names like Balenciega, Harry Winston, Fendi, Kiton, Hermes, Prada, Van Clef / Arpels, and Jimmy Choo, buyers here define wretched excess. 

Some of Crystal's Artwork 

Crystal's Colorful Tornadoes

Just out the back door was the Aria Hotel. I was stunned by the elegance of this hotel. You enter it past a three story curving wall of cascading water. Inside, I found a hotel and casino that was very clearly organized.

Imagine that.

The Aria Hotel and Casino

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Roadboy is off to LA to see the new Cirque show in Hollywood.

Roadboy’s Travels © 2011